Soja: Amid the Noise and Haste

They initially made their name as a reggae band, but time and success have apparently diluted Soja's appetite for authenticity. That's not to say that album No 5 by the band from Virginia is completely dire. There's much here for fans of slick, commercialised radio-friendly reggae-pop, and some well-known names (Michael Franti, Damian Marley) make passable guest appearances. There's an acceptable level of inoffensiveness to the rap-infused Promises and Pills and the groovy Easier. But momentum is asunder by the album's midpoint and the closing four songs are a lifeless mass of dull faux-anthems, all based around a faint, half-hearted reggae chug. Positivity and energy abounds throughout Soja's lyric sheet, but the album's titular reference to noise and haste proves sorely deceptive. sojamusic.com Download: Promises and Pills, Easier